Schenkkan met dansende en musicerende mannen en vrouwen 1657

Françoise Bouzonnet, a woman working as an artist in the 17th century, created this print of a jug with dancing figures. It is an etching, a process that uses acid to cut into a metal plate. Bouzonnet lived in a time when gender roles were clearly defined; yet she became part of the Académie Royale de Peinture et de Sculpture. What stories did Bouzonnet want to tell when making this print? The depiction of a seemingly genderless gathering makes this image more than just an illustration. We see men and women moving together, and can only imagine the sounds of their music. Are they equals? We can only speculate about what Bouzonnet thought about the norms of her time. This image leaves us questioning and feeling, as the figures and music are forever frozen on this vessel.